U.S. State Department Briefing: 5th Annual “Live from L” on ISIL and the Use of Force

5th Annual “Live from L” The Role of the Law in the Fight Against ISIL: Use of Force, Sanctions, and Foreign Terrorist Fighters Office of the Legal Adviser at the U.S. State Department February 12, 2015, noon- 1:30 pm ET Jacob Burns Moot Courtroom, George Washington University Law School Teleconference $15. Free to attend in […]

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International Criminal Justice Day – July 17

Today is International Criminal Justice Day. The Assembly of the States Parties of the International Criminal Court (ICC) adopted this date during the Review Conference of the Rome Statute held in Kampala, Uganda in June 2010. It marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute, the treaty that founded the ICC. The treaty […]

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Peru Grants Transfer of U.S. Citizen Convicted of Terrorism from Prison to House Arrest But Might Deport Her

A Peruvian judge approved early release to house arrest for a U.S. citizen jailed since 1995 on terrorism charges of unlawful collaboration with the Marxist-Leninist Túpac Amaru Resistance Movement (MRTA) rebels during Fujimori’s Presidency. Judge Maria Jessica León Yarango of the First Supra-Provincial Criminal Court of the Superior Court of Justice of Lima ordered Lori […]

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Rwanda Prime Minister Kambanda First Head of State to Plead Guilty to Genocide

On this day in 1994, Jean Kambanda became the Prime Minister of Rwanda. During the 100-day campaign, he incited genocide on the radio by announcing, “Genocide is justified in the fight against the enemy.” He became the first head of state to plead guilty to genocide since the adoption of the Genocide Convention and was […]

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U.S. Nuclear Posture Review Calls for Bolstering International Law and Institutions

The Obama Administration yesterday released its Nuclear Posture Review Report (NPR), which establishes “U.S. nuclear policy, strategy, capabilities, and force posture for the next five years to ten years.” The 2010 NPR becomes the third official high-level review and the first one to be entirely declassified. The NPR’s key objectives emphasize prevention, no new nuclear […]

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Bassiouni “Quite Doubtful” International Criminal Court Will Succeed — The Failures, Challenges, and Future of International Criminal Law

After dedicating much of his career to the establishment of the International Criminal Court, M. Cherif Bassiouni — often called the “father” of international criminal law — startled an audience at an international law conference in Washington, D.C. on Thursday when he called some international criminal tribunals shams and declared others to be mired in […]

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ASIL Keynote Highlight: U.S. Legal Adviser Harold Koh Asserts Drone Warfare Is Lawful Self-Defense Under International Law

Last night, U.S. State Department legal adviser Harold Koh outlined, for the first time, the Obama administration’s legal justifications under international law for the targeted killings of non-state actors using remotely piloted aircraft, often referred to as “drones.” He inserted the topic of drones into his keynote at the American Society of International Law 104th […]

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14th Annual International Environmental Moot Court Competition

The 14th Annual International Environmental Moot Court Competition concluded yesterday with the Law Society of Ireland, Cork as Applicant facing the University of Maryland School of Law as Respondent. This year’s simulated case before the International Court of Justice focused on “Beaked Whales and Marine Seismic Surveys.” Student attorneys made arguments under the Espoo Convention, […]

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